Compare / Contrast Essay

Stereotypes are conventional and oversimplified conceptions and opinion that can create tough misconception of certain people which most of the times turns out harsh and harmful. Brent Staples in “Just Walk On By” and Judith Ortiz Cofer in “THE MYTH OF A LATIN WOMAN. I Just Met A Girl Name Maria “ Both had experiences of being stereotyped even though they had different experiences in different situations and incidents it has the same concept. They were both stereotyped as d someone else. Staples was stereotyped by his African American appearance as a rapist, mugger and a bugler, however he did not fit his stereotype an educated individual with a college degree. Staple dealt with his stereotype in a calm manner by changing his behavior to make people less nervous around him. Similarly cofer was stereotype as housemaid, waitress and a sexual object. Cofer did not fit her stereotype either a colloge educated individual she also handles her stereotype in a calm manner. Her goal however is to replace stereotype with a much more interesting set of realities. Both staples and cofer faced the challenge of dealing with stereotypes in their lives.

Staples was stereotyped by his aferican American apperence as a mugger and rapist . He was often feared by women because he was an aferican American man women often see him as an unsafe creature. In the beginning of the essay where a frightened woman’s reaction is described he uses words such as “terrified, unwidely , quarry, wayfare, tranny, dangerious, harzard, dicey, fear, and weapon”.(354) to illustrate his response to the womans reaction. Neither of these words used suggested anything pleasant. Staples deals with his stereotype in a calm manner taking precautions to make people less nervous around him.
Cofer was stereotyped by her latina apperence as a waitress and housemaid . In her essay she was mistaken as a waitress by “an old woman while she was holding her notebook which an old woman thought was a menu